English Lesson 65

The countryside and bad purchases

The countryside and city life, something you bought and didn't like, and consumers' rights.

How to practise
  1. Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
  2. Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
  3. Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
  4. Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
  5. Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Speed

Part 1 · Interview

The countryside

Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.

Tell me about the countryside outside your town or city.

Outside my city, there are farms with wheat fields and fruit gardens. Further away, there are hills and small villages. In spring, everything is green, and many families go there for picnics at the weekend.

  • wheat fieldsfields where wheat grows
  • Further away, …at a bigger distance
  • go there for picnicseat outside in nature

Would you like to live in the countryside or in a big city in the future? Why?

For now, I prefer the city, because my job is here. But when I'm older, I'd love to live in the countryside. I'd like a small house with a garden, where I can grow vegetables and live a quieter life.

  • For now, …at the moment
  • when I'm olderin later life
  • live a quieter lifehave a calmer life

Why do some people move from the countryside to the city? Do you know someone who did?

Usually for work or education. My cousin is a good example. He grew up in a village, but there were no jobs there for engineers. So he moved to the city after university. He likes his job, but he says he misses the fresh air.

  • is a good exampleshows the idea well
  • there were no jobs there for…no work for that kind of person
  • he misses the fresh airhe feels sad without it

Do you enjoy visiting large cities or small villages? Why?

I enjoy both, but in different ways. Big cities are exciting, with museums, shops and restaurants. Villages are peaceful, and people are very welcoming. If I need to relax, I choose a village.

  • I enjoy both, but in different waysa balanced answer
  • very welcomingvery friendly to visitors
  • If I need to relax, …in that situation

Part 2 · Cue card

Something you bought that you were not happy with

You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.

Candidate task card

Describe something you bought that you were not happy with.

You should say:

  • what you bought
  • why you were not happy with it
  • what you did with it
  • and explain how you felt about this
Ready 1:00

Start

I'd like to talk about a pair of wireless headphones I bought online last year. It wasn't a good experience.

What you bought

They were cheap headphones from an online shop. In the photos, they looked great, and the description said they had excellent sound and a long battery life.

Why you were not happy

When they arrived, I was disappointed. The sound quality was poor, and the battery only lasted about two hours, not twenty hours like the website said. After a week, the left side stopped working.

What you did

I contacted the shop and asked for a refund. At first, they didn't answer. I wrote three times, and finally they agreed to send me a new pair. But the new pair had the same problem, so I just stopped using them.

How you felt

I felt angry and a bit stupid, because I chose them only because they were cheap. I learned an important lesson: read the reviews carefully, and buy from shops you trust. Now I prefer to pay a little more for good quality.

  • It wasn't a good experienceit was bad
  • I was disappointedsad because it was worse than expected
  • The sound quality was poorthe sound was bad
  • asked for a refundasked to get my money back
  • read the reviews carefullycheck other customers' opinions
  • pay a little more for good qualityspend more for better products

Part 3 · Discussion

Shopping and consumers

Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.

Are there more goods available in shops now than in the past? Why?

Yes, many more. Because of international trade, shops sell products from all over the world. Factories also produce things faster and cheaper. In my grandparents' time, there were only a few kinds of products in each shop.

  • goodsthings you can buy
  • international tradebuying and selling between countries
  • faster and cheapercompare with the past

Do people prefer to buy products from their own country or from other countries?

It depends on the product. For food, many people prefer local products, because they're fresher and cheaper. But for electronics and cars, people often prefer foreign brands, because they think the quality is better.

  • It depends on the product.the answer changes
  • local productsproducts made in your country
  • foreign brandscompanies from other countries

What kinds of products are most affected by fashions from other countries?

Clothes are the most affected. Young people follow fashion from Europe, the US and Korea. Food is also affected. Now, there are pizza and sushi restaurants everywhere. Even music and phones follow international trends.

  • are the most affectedchange the most
  • follow fashioncopy styles
  • international trendspopular ideas around the world

What techniques do advertisers use to persuade people to buy more?

They use famous people, because people trust them. They show happy, beautiful people using the product. They also create a feeling of urgency, for example with messages like 'only today' or 'only three left'. And they use social media to target people with personal ads.

  • persuademake someone decide to do something
  • a feeling of urgencya feeling you must hurry
  • target peopleaim adverts at specific people

Who should be responsible for the quality of products: producers, shops or customers?

Mainly the producers, because they make the products. But shops should also check what they sell, and they should take back faulty products. Customers have a role too. They should read reviews and complain when something is wrong.

  • Mainly the producersthe main answer
  • faulty productsproducts that don't work
  • complainsay officially that you are unhappy

How could governments protect the rights of consumers?

Governments should make clear laws about quality and safety. They should give customers the right to return faulty products and get their money back. They can also fine companies that lie in their adverts.

  • the rights of consumerswhat buyers should be allowed to have
  • return faulty productsgive back products that don't work
  • fine companiesmake them pay money as punishment

Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.